The present invention relates to a switch apparatus having a pusher provided between an operating element and a switch body.
Hitherto, a conventional apparatus illustrated in FIG. 4 has been provided as a switch apparatus having a pusher provided between an operating element and a switch body. In this conventional apparatus, an operating element 2 includes an intermediate portion 2a in a lateral direction, as viewed in this figure, which is pivotally supported by a case 1a through a shaft 3 in such a manner as to be able to upwardly and downwardly turn. A projection 4 is provided at a portion, which is placed at right side away from the pivotally supported portion (that is, the intermediate portion 2a) of this operating element 2, as viewed in this figure, in such a way as to downwardly project therefrom.
A linear-rod-like pusher 5 is disposed under the projection 4. A pusher guide 7 having a guide hole 6 for guiding this pusher 5 in such a way as to be able to upwardly and downwardly move in a linear direction is formed integrally with the case 1 and thus provided and fixed therein.
A switch body 8 having an actuator 8a is provided under the pusher 5 by being mounted on a circuit board 9. This circuit board 9 is fixed to the case 1.
In the conventional apparatus of this configuration, when the right-side portion of the operating element 2 is downwardly pushed down into a space, the projection 4 downwardly pushes the pusher 5. Then, the pusher 5 downwardly pushes the actuator 8a of the switch body 8. Thus, an operation of forcedly pushing the switch body 8 is performed, so that the switch body 8 is put into a conducting state.
When the forced pushing of the operating element 2 is canceled from the pushing state, the pusher 5 is upwardly pushed back by a restoring force of the switch body 8 which returns the actuator 8a, and the right-side portion of the operating element 2 is upwardly pushed back through the projection 4. As the pusher 5 is pushed back, the switch body 8 returns to an interrupting state.
In the aforementioned conventional apparatus, the pusher guide 7 is operative to guide the pusher 5 so that the pusher 5 vertical moves in the linear direction in response to an upward or downward turn (that is, a circular arc motion around the shaft 3) of a portion in which the projection 4 of the operating element 2 is present. Thus, the pusher guide 7 serves to enable the apparatus to properly perform an operation of forcedly pushing the switch body 8, that is, to obtain a reliable conductive state by downwardly and forcedly pushing the switch body 8 in a straight direction. Therefore, the length L1 of the pusher guide 7 should be somewhat large.
Thus, in the case of the aforementioned conventional apparatus, the pusher guide 7 having the length L1 is disposed between the switch body 8 and the projection 4 for forcedly pressing the pusher 5 of the operating element 2. Therefore, the switch body 8, the pusher guide 7, and the operating element 2 are sequentially stacked. Consequently, the conventional apparatus has drawbacks in that the thickness t1 of the entire switch apparatus is large, and that thus, the required installation space of the switch apparatus is large.
The invention is accomplished in view of the aforementioned circumstances. Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a switch apparatus enabled to properly perform an operation of forcedly pushing a switch body and to reduce the thickness of the entirety thereof.
To achieve the foregoing object, according to the invention, there is provided a switch apparatus, which comprises an operating element pivotally supported in such a way as to be able to forcedly push and turn in a direction opposite to a direction in which the operating element pushes, a pusher to be pushed by a part of the operating element, which part is disposed at a place located away from a pivotally supported portion thereof, a pusher guide for forcedly pushing and guiding the pusher in such a manner as to be able to move the pusher in a linear direction opposite to a direction in which the pusher is forcedly pushed, and a switch body that undergoes a forced pushing operation to be performed by the pusher. In this apparatus, a guided portion located away from between the switch body and the part of the operating element, which part forcedly pushes the pusher, is formed in the pusher. Further, the pusher guide is provided at a place located away from between the switch body and the part of the operating element, which part forcedly pushes the pusher. Furthermore, the pusher guide guides the guided portion in such a way as to be able to move the pusher in the linear direction.
In order to solve the aforesaid object, the invention is characterized by having the following arrangement.
(1) A switch apparatus comprising:
an operating element pivotally supported through a pivotally supported portion thereof;
a pusher to be pushed by a pushing part of the operating element, the pushing part being disposed at a place shifted from the pivotally supported portion;
a switch body to be pushed by the pusher;
a guided portion away from a portion between the switch body and the pushing part, formed in the pusher; and
a pusher guide for guiding the guided portion in a linear direction, which is arranged at a place away from the portion between the switch body and the pushing part.
(2) The switch apparatus according to (1), wherein the pusher includes the guided portion guided by the pusher guide and a main body portion which is pushed by the operating element and pushes the switch body.
(3) The switch apparatus according to (2), wherein the main body portion is shorter than the guided portion in the linear direction.
(4) The switch apparatus according to (3), wherein the main body portion is shorter than the pusher guide in the linear direction.
(5) The switch apparatus according to (2), wherein the pusher includes an arm which is extended in a direction substantially perpendicular to the linear direction and connects the main body portion to the guided portion.